LESSON #6 - Installing the Post Office program, establishing the base WL2K E-mail account/identity for this Paclink AGW computer, and creating the corresponding e-mail account in Outlook Express (OE.)

 

ESTIMATED TIME: 20-30 minutes after reading the introductory information.

 

First a short tutorial on how Post Office, Paclink AGW, and the WL2K Central Message Server (CMS) work together to provide services as a local e-mail server on your computer.

 

Your Win2000 or XP computer will be an e-mail server for all WL2K e-mail accounts on this computer except the one you created in Airmail. The Post Office program is just like your ISP commercial email account--it is a mail server, and the Paclink AGW program provides the link to the AGW Packet Engine, both to be installed later.

 

Post Office manages WL2K e-mail accounts on this computer (except for the Airmail account if it is also installed.) Post Office handles more than one account, so besides your own email account, you can serve email to other email users on other computers that are connected to yours by a local area network (a LAN). When you configure a new account in Post Office, you should be online (on the internet). The needs the internet connection to automatically register the new account name with the WL2K Common Message Servers. (You have already done this for the Airmail account.) Additionally, a folder with that account name is generated in c:\program files\packlink\accounts for each account you set up.

 

Incoming e-mail for all accounts served by Post Office on this machine are temporarily stored in the corresponding folder for that account. All outgoing e-mail files are temporarily stored in the c:\program files\packlink\pending folder.

 

When you compose an e-mail in Outlook Express on your computer and SEND the message, the flow is from Outlook Express Outbox to the folder at c:\program files\paclink\pending - instantaneously as all this is happening at machine speed in your computer. This is the equivalent of the message leaving your email outbox and going to your ISP's mail server to start its journey, except in our case the message has not yet left the computer.

 

The base account in Post Office establishes the @winlink.org identity and e-mail address for your account in your email client on your computer. The base account name must be a legitimate ham radio call sign, with or without an SSID. When we install it, Paclink AGW will use the base account ham call for legal on-air station ID. This ham call is associated with the Post Office base account in your computer and will forward all e-mail for this address to this computer.

 

In practice, most deployments (i.e. to a shelter) could be fully supported with only the base account. In such cases, the ham radio computer would be used to exchange e-mail with any local or distant e-mail address using the base account. So long as there are not too many different 'message customers' (with attendant tasks/agendas) involved at your location, this will work fine. But once there are several different people at the site who need to send and receive email using this ham radio server, it is best if each agency or person has its own @winlink.org identity and email address, (i.e.@winlink.org.). Each can then use their own computer and email client program to send and receive their own messages via the Post Office server program in your ham computer. These 'third party' accounts are also called 'tactical accounts' in Post Office. We will learn about them in a subsequent lesson.

 

NOTE: If you have Win95/98 you will not be able to do this lesson, but will need to be familiar with the information.

 

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:

Win2000 or XP computer on the internet with Post Office installed and Outlook Express or compliant e-mail client available. Post Office installer executable downloaded during Lesson #2. The file name is 'Paclink Postoffice x.x.x.x install.exe', with x.x.x.x representing the latest version number.

 

OPERATOR REQUIREMENTS:

Current Amateur Radio license; Completion of Lesson #5.

 

Pre-installation notes:

 

(1) If you have a previous version of Post Office that is earlier than version 2.1.0.0 (Oct 11, 2005) you must first use START- Control Panel - Add or Remove Programs and REMOVE Post Office. (Your previous local configurations will be saved.) Check the existing version of Post Office by clicking on the Post Office main window: FILES/About.

 

(2) Unless you have had a lot of experience unzipping install.exe files, it is suggested you create a new folder on the C: drive named HOLD - or any empty folder name you can remember - to be able to find the unzipped files during installation!

 

(3) A NOTE ABOUT PASSWORDS - There are two places in these exercises that require a user password:

 

a. BASE ACCOUNT PASSWORD is used for access to WL2K web mail or Telpac registration on the www.winlink.org web site. It is also used in Post Office Properties window when configuring e-mail accounts for the Paclink AGW computer. This password was established in Lesson #5 when first accessing your web mail account. This password must be used in Post Office Properties when (1) generating a ham call account with an -SSID or (2) deleting any WL2K e-mail account from this computer.

 

b. E-MAIL ACCOUNT PASSWORD is used between Post Office (in Properties and Account windows) and your E-mail client (account properties). It secures access to your Post Office server. In order for Post Office to automatically establish a new e-mail account, a password for the account is required by OE. It is recommended this password be the same for all WL2K e-mail accounts associated with this computer.

 

 

INSTALLING PACLINK POST OFFICE

 

With Outlook Express NOT RUNNING and with the computer online (on the internet):

 

1. START/RUN or double click on Packlink Post Office install.exe. This is a Winzip self extactor.

 

2. At the Winzip window - use BROWSE and unzip these files to c:/hold.

 

CLOSE the Winzip window.

 

3. START/RUN - browse to c:/hold/setup.exe and click OK, then at the first install screen click NEXT.

 

4. Select install folder window - take default install folder and click on EVERYONE then NEXT and defaults through FINISH.

 

5. At the Desktop double click on the Post Office Icon - watch for the thin update window to appear then disappear. (The computer needs to be on the internet for this.)

 

6. Properties Window. Take default install location and fill in the following.

 

Radio callsign for this Paclink Site

Callsign - Use the same call sign as in Airmail.

Password - This is for your local e-mail account (as explained in 3.b. above).

Password for Base callsign - Your WL2K web mail access password. (This may not be required for this exercise.)

 

CMS Sites - take defaults

 

E-mail Client Access and Ports

Check Local for an email program on your ham computer, or LAN if on a different computer.

Take default for port numbers

 

Auto Update Configuration

Never - Use this if computer is not normally on the internet when used.

User Prompt @ Startup - Use if this computer is normally on the internet

Automatic - Use this if the computer is run at an unattended site.

 

Click on UPDATE after you review all fields.

 

In a short while, depending on your internet speed and other factors, you should receive a confirmation from WL2K of success. Click OK.

 

You will receive notice that an account has been made in Outlook Express OE. Read the instructions then click OK.

 

Post Office Main Window - click on ACCOUNTS

 

Paclink User Accounts Window - in the window use the pull-down arrow, highlight the Base Account you just configured to confirm it is there.

 

Click CLOSE. Minimize the Post Office main screen. (Leave Post Office running.)

 

7. Using Windows Explorer remove all files from the c:\hold temporary folder.

 

 

CONFIGURING OUTLOOK EXPRESS FOR THIS NEW ACCOUNT.

 

1. Start Outlook Express- A window requiring the E-mail Password for the new account should appear. Fill in the password from Post Office, be sure to remember password is checked and click OK.

 

In OE across the top click on Tools/Accounts then Mail tab. This will provide a list of all e-mail accounts in OE. One will be the new one just configured in Post Office Properties - your callsign.

 

2. Highlight the new account, and then click on Properties on the right side.

 

Mail Account - This is the way this account will be identified in the list of accounts on this machine (Tools/Options/Mail above.) You can change this to 'Ham Radio Account', or whatever, or leave it defaulted.

 

User Information

Name - This is what will appear as 'from' in e-mails sent from this account.

Organization - Leave blank

E-mail Address - This must be the e-mail address of this account @winlink.org.

Reply address - Leave blank

 

Include this account when receiving mail or synchronizing - This box must be checked if you want this new account to poll the Post Office for e-mail to send/receive with the WL2K system.

 

Check APPLY if you made any changes in this window.

 

4. Click on SERVERS Tab and confirm the following:

 

Incoming server is a POP3

Incoming and Outgoing are both 'localhost'

Account Name - From Post Office Account (your call in this case.)

Password - should be xxxxx (saved)

"Remember password" and "My server requires authentication" must be checked.

 

Check APPLY if you made any changes in this window.

 

5. Click on CONNECTIONS tab.

 

Check "Always connect to this account using this connection". The default will likely be satisfactory. Just remember where to find this if troubleshooting is required. Most default to "Local Area Network".

 

Check APPLY if you made any changes in this window. Then work your way back to the Internet accounts Mail tab and Close, returning to the main Outlook Express window.

 

 

CONFIRMING LINK BETWEEN OUTLOOK EXPESS AND POST OFFICE.

 

1. Across the top of the OE main window there is an icon "Send/Recv". In the right side of that icon is a pull down arrow. Click on the arrow.

 

You should see a selection of actions and a list of e-mail accounts.

 

2. Click on the new account you just created.

 

If you do not get an error message - you have completed this lesson successfully and can advance to REPORT below.

 

ERROR? Check step 6 in the Paclink Post Office Installation. The account name and password in OE must agree with those in Post Office Properties. Post Office must be running.

 

Still doesn't work? Using IE, check to be sure there is a c:\program files\accounts\yourcall folder, where yourcall is the name for this account.

 

 

CONFIGURING OUTLOOK or THUNDERBIRD FOR THIS NEW ACCOUNT.

 

Go to our 'Lessons' page http://digital.w3eoc.org/Lessons and look for 'Outlook Configuration' or Thunderbird Configuration'.

 

 

REPORT

Using your normal commercial e-mail account send an e-mail to the everyone on the list indicating the following:

 

Subject: Lesson #6

 

Your call

Operating System

Your Post Office Base account

How many minutes did this lesson require?

Comments if any

 

• * *

 

Go right on to Lesson #7

Thanks for your interest in this activity.